- It is estimated that one in 12 women will develop breast cancer at some point in her life.
- Most cases and deaths from this disease occur in low- and middle-income countries.
- Although the vast majority of cases of this tumor occur in women, about one percent are in men.
One of the most serious and worrying global public health problems is breast cancer Despite all the efforts made, the results obtained are still insufficient. To date, 2.2 million new cases and 685 thousand deaths are detected each year. It is one of the main causes of mortality in women, although it is a disease that affects entire families.
With this scenario, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated October as the Pink month. The idea is that activities are carried out over 31 days to help raise awareness among the population.
On this subject, Luis Anayasenior director of Healthcare at LLYC for Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic, believes that despite great efforts to generate greater interest and, above all, greater timely detection, the Breast cancer remains the most prevalent disease affecting women in every country in the world.
Why does the disease continue to progress?
If one of the big differences in the breast cancer is the chance of survival if diagnosed early, which according to cancernet, the average survival rate at 10 years is 84%. While in the case of invasive cancer found only in the breast, the 5-year survival rate for women with this disease is 99% because the growth and mortality curve of the disease has not been reversed.
This is where it is urgent to rethink communication strategies. According to National Institute of Public Health, in recent years the number of deaths caused by this disease has increased alarmingly, mainly due to the delay in starting treatment. Whether due to a delay in seeking medical attention after a woman presents with a possible symptom of breast canceror due to the delay in the health system, particularly when giving the definitive diagnosis.
Necessary changes in communication campaigns
In this sense, communication efforts must be redirected. Timely diagnosis is important, but it is necessary to add to the messages the relevance of obtaining a medication as soon as possible, which could generate a greater change in the course of the disease.
Likewise, if more information about the patients were available, it would help to know them better. Better identify their primary needs, such as getting a medication as soon as possible, and secondary needs, which are generated by the very impact of the disease on the emotional part, not only of the patient but also of family members.
The need for information is reflected in this lack of a paradigm shift in the campaigns, since according to the information they should be redirected to achieve better results not only in terms of impact on diagnosis but also in having greater access to treatments.
Empowerment, through information, can also add up so that patients know their right to health and timely treatment.
Undoubtedly, great efforts are required to achieve an organized social response and confront breast cancer as a public health problem, but above all, campaigns must be redirected to have a greater impact on the incidence of breast cancer. breast cancer
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